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“Okay,” Leah replied, blinking in the glare of the lights that had suddenly been switched on now that the band had finished. She followed Georgie through the crowd towards the door and outside. The pavement was glistening from the light summer shower that had fallen while they were inside and the air was cool and fresh.
“Fucking asshole.”
“What is it?”
“Hang on.” Georgie pressed keys on her phone rapidly, the ferocity of her scowl making Leah take a step back. “He’s forgotten. He wants us to get a taxi.”
“I don’t mind getting a taxi.”
“No way. He wants to stay the night at my place, the deal was that he had to pick us up. I just fucking paid his car rego.” She was becoming increasingly more agitated. “I’m gonna call him. Just wait a sec.” She folded one arm across her middle as she held the phone up to her ear, tapping her toe impatiently as she listened to the ring tone. “Now he’s not answering.” Pressing the dial button again, she turned away from Leah and walked up the street, her shoulders hunched with tension. Leah didn’t know what to do. Should she just wait here? Go after her? Call a taxi? A crowd approached the entrance to the pub so Leah moved away, anxiously watching Georgie as she tried to get hold of her brother.
“Oh, hey.”
Leah felt her heart stutter before she even turned around. Callum. He’d just stepped out of the pub, his guitar case hanging over his shoulder and his hair all mussed. Sex on legs, indeed.
“Hi.” She was glad she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.
“Where’s your friend?” He frowned in concern.
Leah gestured up the street, to where Georgie was talking on the phone. “Calling her brother. He was meant to be picking us up.”
“Are you stuck for a ride then?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll probably just get a taxi.”
“Right.”
Well, wasn’t this something. Just standing on Brunswick street, after midnight, having a casual conversation with the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen.
“Did you have a good night?”
“I did, yes. Thank you.”
“Fuck you, Brandon!” They both turned to see Georgie stalking towards them, her face a thundercloud as she talked to her brother. “You promised me!” There was an underlying note of anguish to the accusation.
“I don’t think your ride’s coming.”
“No, it doesn’t look like it.” Leah felt a bit caught, like she should go and help Georgie but also like she didn’t want to leave Callum, standing there in the dim spill of light from the pub, smiling at her.
“Do you have far to go?”
“Not really. Georgie’s flat is in Caulfield.” Where Leah’s parents thought she was, tucked up safely in bed. At the thought of her parents, Leah felt a little flash of fear, then raised her chin. She was nineteen for God’s sake. She smiled back at Callum. “What about you? Do you have far to go?”
“No. Just moved to town. I’m staying at a hotel around the corner.”
“Oh wow. Just moved here?”
“Yeah, from a little town up north, on the coast. Thought it was time to move the band out of my parent’s garage.” He smiled wryly.
“Where will you live?”
He shrugged. “No idea. I’ll just play some gigs and see what comes. We’ve got ourselves a really good booking agent, so there’s a bit coming up. I’ll see how it plays out.”
That seemed quite miraculous to Leah. To just bunk down in a hotel with no real plans, beyond playing a few gigs. “You’re very lucky,” she said, a little wistfully.
“Yeah, I am.” He looked up the street at Georgie, still talking to her brother. “Hey, do you think I could have your number?”
“My number?” Leah asked, startled.
